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Car manufacturers are giant, faceless corporate behemoths with a complete sense-of-humour bypass from the boardroom down, right? Well, yes and no. Sometimes a loose cannon in the PR department decides to show the human side of a global car brand and April Fools’ Day is a surprisingly popular time to do it.
Despite what you might have guessed, car manufacturers love an April Fools’ Day joke. Their pranks usually take the form of a spurious advert or press release about some unlikely new model or technology breakthrough.
These pun-laden flights of fancy then lie in wait for any unsuspecting person who’s failed to check their calendar or consume the requisite gallon of coffee on April 1st morning.
There’s a cluster of new April Fools’ Day efforts from car companies every year and while some are scarcely worthy of the term ‘joke’, others live long in the memory. These are the best April Fools Day jokes from car companies, as wistfully remembered by the team at Auto Express…
April Fools Day 2015: the cream of the crop
Ford’s massive Mustang shrubbery
In one of the more elaborate April Fools stings of 2015, Ford produced a spoof breaking news video about a farmer so besotted with the Ford Mustang muscle car that he planted a giant shrubbery in the shape of the car’s iconic badge. The report claims that the painstakingly laid out prancing pony is visible from planes landing at Stansted Airport and there’s even a happy ending for our fictitious farmer because the Mustang is indeed coming to the UK this year.
Skoda’s chameleon car
On April 1st 2015, Skoda revealed the solution to the age old car buying question, what colour should i choose? The answer being ‘all of them’.
The brand announced a Colour Concept system, a £500 option on the Fabia supermini that allows buyers to mix and match body, roof and wheel colours with appalling results. Better still, the ShadeChange function lets you change the colour of individual body panels at the touch of a button. According to Dr Gio Kyng of Prague University, “each panel is coated with a microscopic layer of unobtainium – a newly discovered element that changes colour when a small electrical charge is applied to it.”
Nissan’s GYM button
Nissan announced a new way for drivers of its cars to fight the flab when behind the wheel for April Fools’ Day 2015. The GYM button disables labour saving gadgets like power steering and increases the force required to operate the pedals and gearbox. Suddenly your drive to work becomes a blood vessel bursting workout capable of burning an average of 1,415 calories a day.
Vauxhall’s mobile kebab shop taxi
Vauxhall announced a breakthrough for the evening entertainment industry for April Fools’ 2015. The Taxi Kebabi is a 9-seater Vauxhall Vivaro Combi taxi with built-in kebab shop. The van comes with bold ‘Abra Kebabra’ exterior decals and a couple of chicken doner Kebabs rotating gentley in the boot.
As well as the two gas-fired spit rotisserie grills, the modified Vivaro is said to have salad bowls integrated into the arm rests, chilli dispensers and of course a tasty selection of sauces. The quote for this one came from taxi driver Jason Donervan “With Vivaro’s class-leading whole life costs, this incredible vehicle offers us hard-pushed drivers another valuable revenue stream that could ultimately see taxi fares being slashed.”
Mercedes’ AMG Sprinter
Mercedes was quick out of the blocks for April Fools’ Day 2015 with a spurious rendering of a Mercedes-AMG Sprinter63 S circulated on social media. The panel van was claimed to be packing a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 503bhp, enough to get any red-blooded delivery driver hot under the collar. Sports suspension, a full body kit and upgraded wheels completed the package but it would be hard to imagine any sane employer footing the fuel bill.
Volkswagen’s extra tiny van
April Fools’ Day 2015 really did bring the van manufacturers out in force, even the usually straight-laced Volkswagen. The German brand proposed the Caddy Maxi Mini, a 2.4m long micro van with one seat and only enough room for a tool box or the driver’s lunch. Basically, you could take more with you if you got the bus.
To top it all, VW quoted its head of commercial vehicle product development, Dr. Avin A’laf. “We see the Caddy Maxi Mini as our equivalent of the chocolate bars at the supermarket checkout. We hope that when customers come and buy one of our multi-award-winning full-size vans, they’ll add a Caddy Maxi Mini as a little treat.”
April Fools Day: best efforts from years past
Skoda’s hairy Yeti
Skoda introduced us to the Yeti Ice special edition for April Fools’ Day 2014. The car features a special faux fur finish developed by Skoda engineers working in the Himalayas. The press release, which came complete with quotes from Skoda experts Dr Yu Ciddingme and Prof Lukat Thedate, explained that personalisation options including side partings and fur extensions are available.
Red Bull F1 in race tweeting technology
— Red Bull Motorsports (@redbullmotors) April 1, 2014
Red Bull announced a new addition to its F1 steering wheel for April Fools’ Day 2014 – technology that would allow drivers to tweet during a race. Fittingly announced via the medium of Twitter, the new wheel was billed as the perfect way to let F1 drivers stay in touch with their fans.
Vauxhall’s Brazilian World Cup Astra
Vauxhall attempted to dupe the nation with a special edition Astra Copacabana tied-in with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The footballer graphics on the flanks and giant Brazilian flag on the roof are just about believable. The turf-covered seats, sand-filled footwells and on-board cocktail vending machine inside, less so.
Mazda’s four-seater MX-5
We’re excited to share with you the first picture of the all-new Mazda MX-5 4 seater. pic.twitter.com/TYsg9UphtP
— Mazda UK (@Mazda_UK) April 1, 2014
The nippy little Mazda MX-5 can now be enjoyed by the whole family – thanks to Mazda’s introduction of the four-seater version on April Fool’s Day 2014. That extra-long wheelbase and extra weight shouldn’t affect handling too much, right?
BMW’s Force Injection Booster
BMW announced a new system that puts the thrill back in to driving for April Fools Day 2014. It claimed that the Force Injection Booster works by “extracting kinetic energy from the car’s engine and converting it into positive g-forces”. The effect being that drivers can experience the thrill of high speed driving even at modest speeds of just 20mph.
Additional BMW ‘AirNet’ technology works to keep occupants hairdos in tiptop condition while all this is going on. In the press release Professor Mika Notbetrü, Head of BMW Innovation, described FIB technology as “Mind-blowingly unbelievable”.
ChipsAway’s dent repair app
According to smart repair specialists ChipsAway, you can now repair damage to your car’s bodywork with their new mobile phone app. It’s the kind of technology that would put companies like ChipsAway out of business on a flash but it’s also an April Fools’ joke. Nice video though.
MINI’s Cooper T
You’ve heard of the Cooper S and Cooper D MINI models, well MINI asked you to suspend disbelief to accommodate a Cooper T on April Fools’ Day 2014. It sounds plausible until you learned the car supposedly runs on tea.
Capable of covering 40 miles on a single cup and equipped with Dunk Avoidance Technology to prevent unscrupulous individuals from lowering biscuits into the fuel tank, the Cooper T was a tough one to swallow.
Peugeot’s Audio Sonic Personalisation Programme for car horns
Peugeot announced a new personalisation option for its cars in April 1st 2014. The Audio Sonic Personalisation Programme for car horns invited customers to record their own sounds for their car’s horn that would “reflect their taste and character” so that “everyone can enjoy a truly individual horn”. An accompanying video showed the technology in action.
SEAT’s electro reflective’ exterior panel finish
SEAT came over all James Bond with its 2008 April Fools’ Day joke. A press release revealed the manufacturer had developed a groundbreaking ‘electro reflective’ exterior panel finish that could adapt to mimic the car’s surroundings. There was no word on how owners would find their car again once they’d parked it.
Hyundai’s i10 Popemobile
Hyundai treated us to an unlikely modified version of its i10 city car in on April Fools Day 2009. The premise behind the i10 Special Project Popemobile was that the the head of the catholic church wanted to get around in something more environmentally-friendly than the usual armourplated SUVs.
The game was given away by Hyundai’s press release small print that claimed, “all leather from the seat facings was replaced with parts of tapestry woven by monks from the Indian city of Utta Bullacs”.
BMW’s M3 pick-up truck
When is an April Fools’ Day joke not an April Fools Day joke, When it’s a BMW M3 pick-up.
BMW lifted the lid on this 414bhp V8 ute based on its M3 Convertible in 2011, proudly announcing that there was enough space in the back for 20 golf bags!
We sniggered but it turned out that the M3 pick-up was real. It was subsequently spotted lapping the Nurburgring and, weighting 50kg less than an M3 Coupe, is said to be capable of 186mph.
Vauxhall’s Accelerator Pedal Retarding Intervention Lump
In 2006 Vauxhall announced a neat optional extra for its Astra VXR hot hatch (on April 1st). The Accelerator Pedal Retarding Intervention Lump was a detachable chunk of the floor mat that sat underneath the throttle pedal and prevented drivers from giving it the full potatoes.
Vauxhall claimed that under extensive testing, the ‘lump’ reduced the VXR’s normal 6.2 second 0-62mph time to a far more stately and environmentally-friendly 14.06 seconds. Cheap but effective.
Kia KEE_Wii kills the steering wheel
In 2008 Kia looked to capitalise on the success of the Nintendo Wii games console with a KEE_Wii concept car April Fools’ Day joke.
Kia said that the car had a portable controller instead of the conventional steering wheel and pedals. This enabled it to be driven from any of its four seats, even by the kids in the back. “It seems obvious to us that if children as young as eight can drift, rally and race their way to multiple world championships on a games console, then this new driving system will be simple enough for anyone to use,” said the blurb.
Coming from the manufacturer responsible for the cee’d and the pro_cee’d, nobody batted an eyelid at the KEE_Wii’s silly name but five-year-olds driving cars was a step too far.
Land Rover’s self-levelling tax disc
Land Rovers are known for the extreme unnatural angles they can achieve off-road without toppling over but, as we all know, that can present a huge problem for anyone wanting to read the car’s tax disc. This was the thinking behind Land Rover’s 2011 self-levelling tax disc joke.
The British brand even went to the trouble of creating a video of the launch of the pivoting tax-disc holder. In the film, it claimed that the device was designed by a Mr Joe King, of all people.
Kia really pushed the Photoshop boat out in generating the images of its Aero-Soul April Fools’ gag in 2009. The car was said to be modified with a new ‘Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line system’ that harness the power of the wind to save fuel.
SEAT Aero-Tonto wind turbine
SEAT probably put a lot of thought into its wind turbine-equipped Ibiza Ecomotive April Fools’ effort in 2009 but little did they know that it was destined to be comprehensively overshadowed by Kia’s spectacular Aero-Soul.
The Aero-Tonto system is based on a similar false premise of harnessing the power of the wind to boost efficiency. SEAT claimed that the turbine on the roof generated enough energy to power the car’s high beam headlights at 24 mph. You wouldn’t want to take it through a car wash though.
BMW’s Political Roundel Attachment Tag
As election fever gripped the country in 2010, BMW looked to cash in with a political April Fools’ Day effort. The Political Roundel Attachment Tag (PRAT) was an opportunity for BMW drivers to show their allegiance to a political party by changing the colours on their car’s badges.
Auto Windscreens prescription windscreen
It’s not just car manufacturers that like an April Fools’ Day prank. In 2010 Auto Windscreens revisited an old joke by announcing the world’s first prescription windscreen. There was even a mocked-up video and publicity shot featuring British Touring Car Driver Tom Chilton.
Tailored to the individual’s ophthalmic prescription the windscreen was created to eliminate the need for drivers to wear their glasses or contact lenses at the wheel. The Auto Windscreens press release even went so far as to claim that each screen came with a giant cleaning cloth.
BMW’s Magnetic Tow Technology
Another classic BMW April Fools joke was the 2009 announcement of Magnetic Tow Technology.
The system purported to use a magnetic field that would allow BMW drivers to creep up behind other traffic and latch on for a fuel-saving ride. “For once, we’re happy to be behind the competition,” said the tagline on BMW’s spoof ad.
What’s the best car-related April Fools joke you’ve seen? Tell us all about it in the comments section below…


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Since January, when the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) took effect, UK food companies that export their products to the EU have been facing the burden of bureaucracy that third countries are dealing with in their trade with the Union. They have to meet various requirements imposed on exports to the EU, such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls, including export health certificates (EHCs), advance electronic notification procedures and inspections at border control posts (BCPs), as well as customs and contractual procedures. All these cost extra time and money.
The SPS Certification Working Group, a cross-industry, veterinary and environmental health group, argues that export delays and rejections of products arriving at EU ports that begun in January are now the norm in the UK-EU trade. The EU is the main market for the UK food companies and the industry claims that its current loss that resulted from Brexit is already big enough and cannot be compensated from trading with other markets.
For these reasons, the Working Group is calling on the UK to negotiate a mutual veterinary agreement with the EU in its recent report “Minimizing SPS Friction in the EU Trade”. Such an agreement would essentially ease the current problems in the food and feed trading between the EU and the UK. According to the report, the exports system is characterised by archaic bureaucracy and it needs improvement to reduce time, errors and costs. In addition, the requirements for inspection and certification need review as well.
On 10th June, the cross-party UK Trade and Business Commission examined this topic at its evidence issue and heard about the industry’s experience in exporting animal products to the EU after Brexit. As the witnesses stressed, the key issue to address the current challenges is alignment in food standards, which should be a priority and driving all else. As they pointed out, as soon as divergence appears, checks at borders will only increase burdens for businesses. The industry has asked the Government to provide assurances to the EU about the UK food standards. It also showed that the simplification and automatisation of the export processes is equally crucial.
The EU and the UK are currently negotiating the issue of food standards, with Brussels seeking a commitment from Britain to remain aligned to the Union’s standards and the British government asking instead for recognition of the UK standards as equivalent to EU’s. As the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said to Reuters, the UK seems to have a problem with any monitoring mechanism being enforced by the European Court of Justice. Ireland, from its side, suggests a middle ground with an independent monitoring system.
The exports and food standards issues that emerged right after the UK officially left the EU are yet another example that Brexit signified a new era where the two sides now have to work more closely than ever.
Brexit is not done and dusted. Rather, it has just begun, as the two parties have to figure out how to best implement the Brexit agreement to ensure as little disruption as possible in their economic relationship. Our experience tells us that the industry has a decisive role to play. Whitehouse has run successful campaigns on major legislative and regulatory dossiers discussed within the European institutions, its member states and the UK and ensured our clients continually contribute to high-profile debates at the EU and national levels.
The post-Brexit food standards challenge shows that now is the best time for the food companies to put forward their interests, staying up to date on the policy and regulatory developments and engaging with both the EU and the UK, which are seeking their opinion and expertise.
Whitehouse Communications has focused on food and nutrition policy for over 20 years. Our team are experts in food law and regulation, providing political consultancy and public affairs advice to a wide range of food manufacturers, distributors and consumer organisations in the EU and the UK on how to shape the policies and regulations affecting their business. More information about our food and drink policy experience can be found here.

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Shell Commits to Expanding Gas Stations as Some Rivals Retreat
(Bloomberg) -- While many oil producers are stepping back from their retail operations, Royal Dutch Shell Plc is doubling down.
Shell, which has about 44,000 filling stations around the world, opened its first one in Mexico last year, the start of $1 billion in investments over the next decade. Shell also is ramping up spending in China, India, Indonesia and Russia, Istvan Kapitany, head of Shell’s global retail business, said in an interview in Calgary.
Even Canada, where other companies have recently sold their retail operations, will see increasing investments. Shell added 50 gas stations in the country last year, bringing its total to about 1,300, and plans to build another 50 this year while also rolling out new features to capture more of drivers’ retail dollars and building up its business for commercial customers, he said.
“We have very, very ambitious growth plans, and Canada is part of that,” Kapitany said in an interview in Calgary.
Meanwhile, others have been leaving. Chevron Corp. last year sold its gas stations and a refinery in British Columbia for about $1.1 billion. Imperial Oil Ltd., majority owned by Exxon Mobil Corp., sold almost 500 company-owned stations to a group of five fuel distributors for $2.1 billion in 2016.
In the U.S., Sunoco LP sold its gas stations last year, following in the footsteps of ConocoPhillips, Hess Corp. and Valero Energy Corp. While people associate energy producers like Exxon and Chevron with the stations that bear their names, most of those are franchises in the U.S. and oil majors only own a small fraction of them.
Among other producers holding on to their retail businesses are Marathon Petroleum Corp., which rejected a push from billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management Corp. to spin it off, and BP Plc, which like Shell is expanding its presence in retail.
A key to Shell’s strategy is tailoring the stations to regional preferences. For example, in Canada, the Hague-based company is planning to announce a program to increase its healthy food offerings in the coming weeks. In Mexico, Shell touts its guarantee that customers are actually getting all the fuel they paid for, an important promise in a market where fraud at the pump is a problem.
“Local customer demands have to be satisfied by a strong local team that understands the local culture,” Kapitany said. “In this business, there are no global customers. The customer is always local.”
Having robust refining and retail operations, also known as downstream businesses in industry parlance, has been particularly beneficial in Canada recently. That’s because a lack of pipeline capacity has weighed on Canadian oil prices, hurting companies who produce crude but benefiting those that can benefit from the cheaper feedstock.
For Shell, the retail business also is an important means for helping the company adapt to a changing energy world. Shell is building networks of electric-car charging stations in multiple locations while also rolling out locations for fuel-cell and natural gas-powered vehicles. Electric mobility will expand over the coming decades, and Shell needs to play a part in that transition to keep serving its customers, Kapitany said.
“This is what we have been doing for 100 years, and this is most likely what we’re going to be doing for the next 100 years,” he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kevin Orland in Calgary at firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reg Gale at email@example.com, Carlos Caminada, Joe Carroll
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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Aldi has confirmed plans to open 100 new stores, creating 4,000 new jobs by the end of next year after a £1.3 billion of investment.
Speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Aldi CEO Giles Hurley said: "I'm announcing today £1.3 billion in expanding our store network here. That means 100 new stores, store upgrades, 4,000 new jobs this year, an additional 3,000 jobs next year and the investment in our logistics chain... our biggest ever investment in 30 years."
He added: "We've made it our number one mission to keep our prices the lowest in Britain and that is the unbreakable contract that we have with our customers."
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The update comes after Aldi reported sales increased by 8% to £12.28 billion in 2019.
Aldi recently opened a new store on Coppice Lane in Huyton, which welcomed shoppers through the doors for the first time on September 10.
It is the first Aldi supermarket to open in the area, and will be run by store manager Jennifer Mackenzie and 29 members of staff.
The budget-friendly retailer, which has seen sales continue to grow through the coronavirus pandemic amid strong demand for household items and groceries, said it was committed to keeping its prices "the lowest in the market" amid pressure on household budgets.
Regarding restrictions on certain items being imposed in some supermarkets, Mr Hurley added: "The overriding message to customers should be to buy exactly what they need when they need it."
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Supermarket rivals, including Tesco and Morrisons, have reduced their prices in recent months in a bid to compete with growth by Aldi and fellow German discounter Lidl.
But Aldi and Lidl have both failed to benefit from the surge in demand for online orders and home deliveries since the pandemic took hold in the UK. Earlier this month, Aldi expanded into click and collect orders for the first time.
Reflecting on this, Mr Hurley said: "Consumer habits are changing and we need to evolve our business to reflect that."


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51 franchised UPS Stores in 24 states are affected, according to UPS.
The only store in Oklahoma affected is the Sapulpa location. Employees there referred KRMG to a corporate call center dedicated to fraud situations.
We spoke to a rep who told us the company was told about the security issue in late July, but Malware was traced back in their system as far back as January 2014. The company says transactions between March 26 and August 11 are the ones in which customer data was in danger.
“We are not aware of any reports of fraud associated with the Malware incident.” UPS Rep Nicole Cox, said.
But still, the company is strongly urging customers who swiped a card in the Sapulpa store during that March-August time period keep a close eye on their credit card and/or bank accounts. The company says names, addresses, e-mail addresses and credit card information could all be at risk for those customers.
UPS will provide FREE ID protection to potential fraud victims that stem from their breach.


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The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has clarified the insinuation that electricity consumers would, henceforth, pay N1, 800 for their monthly power consumption, stating that such “is a clear misrepresentation of facts.”
The management made the clarification Thursday in a statement issued in Kano by the Company’s head of corporate communications, Ibrahim Sani Shawai.
It noted that following the order of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the capping of estimated billing in the Nigerian Electricity supply industry, KEDCO “is permitted to charge up to N5, 500 and N8, 500 on residential and commercial customers, respectively, depending on the location of the customer.”
It further stated that the “order on the capping concerning KEDCO is to take effect from March bill; thus, with this capping regulation, customers are now expected to pay 100 per cent of their monthly bills to move the industry forward; this will help to improve power supply and resolve the liquidity challenge in the sector.”
The statement read in part, “The claim that all DisCos are now to charge only N1, 800 is not true as it being circulated, as N1, 800 is the industry average which include customers in the rural areas. We believe that the move by NERC is for the growth of the sector knowing full well some of the challenges in the electricity supply industry. We wish to put it in clear perspectives that we are permitted to charge beyond N1, 800. We are using this medium to assure our numerous customers that we will continue to improve our services to ensure that customers get the needed satisfaction from all our services.”
It further read, “It will be recalled also that we have given a marching order to all meter vendors handling deployment and installations to speedily ensure that all our customers are metered for the overall good of all stakeholders.”


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China was previously cited as the likeliest location for the new Asia plant as its Chinese factory held in a joint venture with Lotte reached capacity. But Hershey has opted for Malaysia and will open a $250 million USD (RM816 million) factory in Johor by 2015.
Hershey said in a statement: "The plant’s location in Johor is a strategic geographical choice that provides Hershey with easy distribution access to more than 25 markets across Asia. Malaysia also offers a well-educated potential workforce, a stable political environment, a strong supply chain infrastructure and globally recognized Halal food manufacturing certification that is an advantage for products sold in the region."
The 700,000 sq ft facility will be one of the largest in Hershey's manufacturing network. The firm currently has nine plants in the United States as well as facilities in Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil and China.
The Johor plant will produce Hershey’s Kisses, Ice Breakers, Reese’s and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars.
Low market share in Malaysia
Last year Hershey entered into a marketing partnership with expansion services group DKSH to sell and market Hershey’s Kisses, chocolate bars, nuggets, and pearls, as well as Bubble Yum gum in Malaysia.
According to Euromonitor data, Hershey is the fifth largest chocolate player worldwide, but only the seventh biggest in Malaysia with just a 3.4% market share.
The Malaysian chocolate market is dominated by Mondelez and Nestlé, who together command almost half of the market with Mars just behind.
Euromonitor forecasts that chocolate confectionery in Malaysia will grow around 3.7% year-on-year up until 2014. Chocolate is the highest selling confectionery category in the market, some way ahead of sugar confectionery, while gum accounts for only a small portion.
Growth is not expected to be as strong in the Malaysian chocolate sector compared to BRIC markets, but chocolate retail value sales would reach €138.4m ($188m) if Euromonitor growth forecasts are realized.
China: The priority
China is Hershey’s number one international priority.
Hershey currently holds a plant in China through a joint venture with Korean confectioner Lotte, but the factory has reached capacity.
Earlier this year Hershey launched milk candy brand Lancaster in the growing Chinese market.
Hershey has forecast that its overall international sales will reach approximately $1bn by the end of 2014.


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EghtesadOnline: Iran exported about 7,500 tons of tea worth $11.3 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Nov. 21, 2017), registering a 6% decline in weight but an 8.6% rise in value compared with the similar period of last year.
The figures indicate that the price of Iranian tea has gone up in the international markets, ISNA reported.
“During the harvest season from June to October, the government purchased about 108,000 tons of fresh tea leaves worth 2.03 trillion rials ($50 million) from local farmers, registering a 23% decline compared with that of last year,” the head of Iran Tea Organization said.
Mohammad Vali Rouzbehan also blamed bad weather and low precipitation for the decline in tea production, according to Financial Tribune.
“A total of about 24,000 tons of processed tea have been produced from the purchased leaves,” he was quoted as saying by Young Journalists Club.
Tea is cultivated in northern Iran where 50,000 families earn their living from tea farming on more than 25,000 hectares of fields.
Close to 95% of tea orchards in Iran are rain-fed. About 110,000 tons of dried tea are consumed in Iran every year.
Iran imports tea from India, the UAE, Sri Lanka and Kenya.
According to Rouzbehan, Iranian tea is 100% natural and pesticide-free.
“Tea in Iran is cultivated in the northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran. The special climate of the region causes the tea plants to hibernate every year during the six months of autumn and winter. The extreme cold terminates a majority of the pests and the rest are dealt with through biological methods. Iranian tea is considered organic. This gives us an edge [in international markets],” he told Financial Tribune in an interview last year.


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FPL Technologies, a fintech startup which operates credit score platform OneScore and issues OneCard credit cards, has raised $75 million as part of its Series C funding round at a $750 million valuation.
The fundraise was led by its existing investor QED Investors along with GIC Singapore, Janchor, Sequoia Capital India, Matrix Partners India and Hummingbird Ventures.
The funding comes within 10 months after the company raised its Series B round of $35 million. The latest round of investment brings FPL Technologies’ total funding since launch to approximately $125 million.
FPL said it will use the fresh infusion of capital to strengthen its consumer value proposition, scale up its product teams, to grow the issuance of OneCard and expand its consumer base aggressively.
“The growing customer inclination towards digital and contactless payments in our country has presented a promising opportunity to introduce mobile-first credit consumption products. But alongside that comes the responsibility of educating these customers and making them a credit aware community too,” said Anurag Sinha, co-founder and CEO of FPL Technologies.
“The young digital-savvy customer is increasingly seeking simple, seamless, smooth yet heightened experiences in their lives and this is exactly what we offer through our products,” he said.
In the recent past, OneCard has partnered with multiple banks, to extend the digitally augmented experience of a new-age credit card to tech-savvy Indians across the country.
FPL Technologies said it set out with a vision to build a community of credit aware customers in February 2019 by giving them access to digitally enabled credit consumption products and experiences. The Pune-based startup first launched OneScore - a no-spam, digital credit score platform offering credit score checks and personalised insights with which customers can monitor and manage their credit health. The company claims its scoring platform has acquired more than 10 million users within just two years of its launch.
OneCard, a mobile-first, metal credit card was their next launch, in June 2020, in partnership with banks. The startup claims it is built on a full-stack proprietary technology platform in India and is powered by an app through which customers can seamlessly transact, swipe-to-pay, make easy in-app repayments, lock the card and much more.


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Social media is important, but face-to-face connections are still a remodeler’s main marketing tool. In today’s business climate, everyone — employees, trade partners, vendors — should be part of your company’s marketing efforts.
“Make it part of company culture,” says former remodeler and now consultant Neil Parsons, owner of DesignBuildProfit. Share your company’s mission and goals. Parsons suggests running an open-book company and regularly holding team-building exercises and periodic “state-of-the union” meetings.
In the monthly meeting at Seattle–based Gaspar’s Construction, co-owner Cathy Gaspar says she “make[s] everyone in the company aware that referrals come because of excellent service,” so employees are responsible for asking for referrals.”
To that end, Gaspar says that all the company’s hires have people skills. “Even laborers interact with clients,” she points out, so Gaspar’s Construction field employees go through online Sandler sales training.
40% of prospects are converted to new customers through face-to-face meetings
28%: Current business that would be lost without face-to-face meetings - Source: Meeting Professionals International study
But don’t limit your efforts to in-house staff. Steve Klitsch, owner of Creative Concepts Remodeling, in Germantown, Md., gives trade partners business cards to hand out to clients inquiring about remodeling services.
While Klitsch guarantees trade partners the work if their referral becomes a job, Parsons suggests a more formal policy using rewards such as gift cards. Gaspar’s Construction gets buy-in with its annual subcontractors’ breakfast and “Golden Hammer” award given to the trade partner who brings in the most referrals during the year.
“I just want subs to plant a seed,” Klitsch says. “I’m not asking them to be salespeople. I’m hoping the seed-planting process may have a return six months or two years down the line.”
—Stacey Freed, senior editor, REMODELING.


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When times are tough, homeowners are more likely to forego
paying their property taxes.
But when things improve, the volume of delinquent taxes
drops, and that’s what happened with the online sale of tax certificates, that wrapped
up May 28.
Handled by D & T Ventures since 2008, when the county
switched from “courthouse steps” in-person sales to the online method, the sale
this year concluded with 703 certificates sold off to 26 bidders, with a total
value of $870,901.
Another 146 were struck back to the county, because they included
tax bills of under $250 on homesteaded properties.
The volume of tax certificates sold off represents a $165,228
drop, or a nearly 16 percent decline, from the volume sold in 2019, when 844
certificates, with a total value of $1,036,129 went to 24 bidders.
In addition, more than twice as many of the small
homesteaded property tax bills, 370, last year were struck to the county.
“My thought is that it’s an improving economy and that, along
with the stimulus money, may have played a part in getting property owners to
pay their taxes more this year versus last year,” said Gulf County Tax
Collector Shirley Jenkins.
In both years, bidders will get on average 6 percent for
their purchases, just above the 5 percent minimum and well below the 19 percent
“Everything went smoothly,” said Jenkins.
Through the online process, the competition of bidders
ratchets down, by one-quarter of 1 percent increments, what they are willing to
accept as interest on their investment. Bidders have to put up 10 percent of
the certificate’s face value prior to it being awarded them at auction. Checks
presented online are acceptable as down payment; credit cards are not. The
payment of the full certificate value must be paid by certified funds or wire
Jenkins has served as tax collector since 2001, when she was
first elected. A board member of the Florida Tax Collectors
Service Corporation, and former District #2 director of the Florida Tax
Collectors Association, Jenkins serves on the board of directors of the Capital
City Bank and Washington Improvement Group, is a former member of the board of trustees
of Gulf Coast State College, and is a member of Port St. Joe Kiwanis Club, and the
Port St. Joe Garden Club.


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KOTA KINABALU: Beaufort will soon have a fruit collection centre and a downstream processing factory.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the state’s Korporasi Pembangunan Desa (KPD) and private firm Green Drone Advance Farming Sdn Bhd to set up the downstream processing factory in the district.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the venture was officiated yesterday.
Caretaker Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Junz Wong said the project, to be located on a 355-hectare site run by KPD, will not only benefit people in Beaufort but also Sipitang and surrounding areas in southwest Sabah.
“We will cultivate various types of crops, process the harvest, explore downstream potentials and develop a systematic marketing ecosystem,” he said, in a statement here today.
“Apart from increasing the production of various types of local fruits for local and foreign consumption, the centre will also help to generate additional income for rural Sabahans.
Elaborating further on the project, Wong said KPD will work with Green Drone Advance Farming in a joint venture to develop a plant-based processing plant where the final product will be marketed domestically or exported out of Sabah.
He added the downstream processing factory will create at least 30 to 50 jobs for local residents in the Lumadan-Beaufort area.
In addition to having these facilities to support farmers growing various types of local fruits such as mangosteen, mango and durian, the collection centre will also help to provide all kinds of services.
“This includes a cold room, packaging and logistics support to ensure a better service and stable income for the rural farming communities.
“This is in line with the main policy of the Warisan-led Sabah government, which is to industrialise Sabah.
Towards this end, he pointed out this vast area was never developed for almost 26 years by previous administrations, despite its potential.
Also present yesterday were incumbent assemblymen for Sindumin and Bongawan, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob and Dr. Daud Bin Yusof.


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Japanese gift card exchange platform Amaten has announced plans to expand its current operation using blockchain technology.
It has collaborated with cloud computing blockchain network aelf for the initiative.
With the use of new blockchain technology, Amaten aims to transform the way gift cards are issued, purchased and exchanged.
It will enable converting the conventional gift cards into digital assets managed and exchanged on blockchain.
The move is expected to eliminate the limitations of the physical cards and digital codes.
It will enable Amaten to trace the card to the original issuer and all exchanges between the end users providing added transparency to the process.
Additionally, blockchain will help to secure the digital codes, which are prone to malicious attacks.
Amaten chairman Tom Kanazawa said: “The current system and technology used for gift card is completely obsolete and dates all the way back to the mid 90s. It has never evolved to match today’s digital world. It still suffers from basic fundamental shortcomings and is very inconvenient.
“I believe that the gift card industry can be a perfect use case for blockchain. The two are a completely natural fit.
“We have chosen to partner with the best blockchain technology providers in the space, aelf, because they offer the scalability, dedicated sidechains and smart contract modules that we very much need to build our service rapidly and most cost effectively.”
Driving on the new technology, the company now plans to scale up its business in Japan. Additionally, it also aims to bolster international footprint with initial plans to expand to Korea and China.


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Aregbesola Inaugurates Garment Factory
•3000 jobs in Osun
Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said his administration will continue to provide infrastructure and security for businesses to thrive.
Aregbesola spoke on Monday in Osogbo, the state capital, while inaugurating the Omoluabi Garment Factory.
He said the factory is a testimony of his administration’s investment drive, adding that the state has the required market as well as the human and material resources.
Aregbesola said Osun pupils were given uniforms to give them a common identity and purpose, as well as a sense of unity and pride, which “had been lost to the decay in public schools” before the inception of his administration.
He said: “Through this alone, we provided job opportunities for our market women, who supplied the materials for the uniforms, and about 3,000 tailors.
“This factory will, henceforth, produce the school uniforms. It will employ our people, buy its input here and the batik it will produce will be sewn by our tailors.
“All of these, among other gains, will have numerous spin offs that will rebound to the advantage of the people. The uniform material will be sold and sewn at controlled prices to make it affordable for our people. You are not only assured of quality; you will get it at good prices.”
The governor said the factory is one of those established through the revitalisation of the education sector.
He said another factory will soon begin the production of the e-learning tablet, Opon-Imo, and other electronic gadgets in Ilesha.
Aregbesola urged the managers of the factory to be innovative and “uncompromisingly committed” to quality, saying: “This might appear to be a small beginning, but what I am seeing is the onset of a giant clothing industry that will take the nation and West Africa by storm in the future.”
He said his administration was focused on the implementation of policies that “would improve the lives of the people”.
The General Manager, Operations, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Joseph Babatunde, hailed Aregbesola’s “visionary leadership”.
He said his bank provides financial support for the training of fashion designers, whose products would be consumed locally and abroad.
Babatunde called for a review of the agreement between the government and the bank to accommodate more trainees.
The factory’s Managing Director, Mrs. Folake Oyemade, said by the end of the year, over 3,000 tailors would have been trained.
She said: “Today’s ceremony is a demonstration of one of the governor’s campaign promises. He promised to make Osun an industrial haven, where youths, as leaders of tomorrow, would be catered for through skill acquisition, job creation, poverty alleviation and wealth creation. This is just the beginning of better things to come.”


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(Note: The author of this fundamental analysis is a financial writer and portfolio manager. He and his clients own shares of AAPL.)
Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) stock came under pressure the week of December 26, 2017, on reports that the company was slashing its sales forecast of the iPhone X to 30 million units from 50 million units for the upcoming fiscal second quarter of 2018. But two Apple suppliers, Broadcom Ltd. (AVGO) and Jabil Inc. (JBL), have not indicated such a dramatic cutback (of nearly 40 percent) in iPhone orders based on their recent forward quarterly guidance.
The forward guidance from both Jabil and Broadcom came in higher than analyst estimates when both companies reported results in mid-December. Broadcom's current quarter runs mid-way through Apple's fiscal second quarter, while Jabil's current quarter likely ends in February, nearly two-thirds of the way through Apple's second quarter.
If Apple were slashing production numbers, why would Broadcom and Jabil have issued better-than-expected guidance for the current quarter? It is possible a significant slowdown could come in March, but Jabil noted that it expects to see continued growth throughout the second half of 2018.
In its 2017 10-K filing, Jabil noted that Apple accounted for 24 percent of its total revenue in fiscal 2017, 2016, and 2015. On December 14, the company provided revenue guidance of $4.9 billion at the mid-point and adjusted earnings per shares of $0.62 for the fiscal second quarter.
Both the revenue and EPS estimates came in better than analyst projections of $4.75 billion and $0.60 per share, according to data from YCharts.
The previous week, Broadcom also issued guidance for its fiscal first quarter, calling for revenue of $5.3 billion at the midpoint, which was higher than analyst estimates of $4.78 billion. According to its latest 10-K, Broadcom noted that in fiscal 2017, Apple accounted for more than 20 percent of its total revenue.
A Big Slowdown?
Something seems off with the recent reports of Apple slashing iPhone X orders by nearly 40 percent. Two of its suppliers have yet to see an impact, at least through the end of February.
Could Apple be preparing for a big slowdown in future quarters? It's possible, but it is likely that products and shipments from both Broadcom and Jabil will be used in a period after March because of a lead time that is needed in preparing that many parts.
As of right now, the rumors of a significant Apple decline in iPhone production has yet to show up in the supply chain.
Michael Kramer is the Founder of Mott Capital Management LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the manager of the company's actively managed, long-only Thematic Growth Portfolio. Kramer typically buys and holds stocks for a duration of three to five years. Click here for Kramer's bio and his portfolio's holdings. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Upon request, the advisor will provide a list of all recommendations made during the past twelve months. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.


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Industrialists come up with investment plans and the government, as a stimulating body, extends policy support and very often offers financial backing for the promotion of the production sector. The relationship between them is complementary. This has been the case in all sectors of production, and trade and commerce. But the tannery sector now displays a sort of deviation from this usual and expected course. Relocation of the tannery factories to the designated site at Savar has, of late, turned into an unpleasant issue between the government and the tannery owners.
The government is determined to relocate the factories to save Hazaribagh, its adjoining areas and the river Buriganga from massive pollution caused by untreated effluent discharged by about 200 tanneries. And the factory owners are no less adamant; they show no sign of obeying deadlines of shifting the factories. After owners failed to go by the latest deadline, the government has resorted to the harsh measure like stopping supply of rawhide to the factories. This unwarranted turn of event is the last that the country’s economic interest welcomes.
Up till now, the tannery owners based their argument in support of their non-compliance of the government decision mainly on lack or incompletion of the central effluent treatment plant at the new industrial park. But, as the CETP has become partially operative since January, they accuse that they have not been given sufficient time for the relocation. However, such an argument is simply distortion of fact and purely misleading. Fifteen years since the High Court ordered for the relocation was more than sufficient for the job.
The HC order for the relocation of the tannery factories and the government efforts in that direction are for checking further deterioration of the environment in the Hazaribagh area. There is no scope of backtracking from the objective, no matter how much pressure tannery owners exert. Tannery owners should realise the urgency of factory relocation and act accordingly, and as quickly as possible.


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Kylie Jenner Is Kicking Off 2019 With Icy Blue Hair And It’s Fully Unmissable
The KUWTK star has already served up an iconic look
Kylie Jenner has decided to kick off the New Year in the most iconic way possible after dyeing her hair an eye-catching shade of blue.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has experimented with different styles and shades for as long as we can remember, but she usually just purchases an incredibly expensive wig and takes it off when she feels like a change again.
This time around, it looks like she’s committed herself to a permanent new colour. Having shared footage of herself bleaching her roots on Instagram Stories, fans were fully shook by the final image of her luminous locks.
The whole thing has reminded fans of that time she experimented with teal hair back in 2014.
At the time, her Kylie Cosmetics brand wasn’t even a fully formed idea and her now iconic lip-kits were still one year away from hitting the internet and destroying all our hard-earned savings.
Plenty of fans pointed out that the image brings to mind a simpler time, with one person suggesting it’s a sign 2019 is going to be a peaceful year: “@KylieJenner’s hair is blue again so all is right in the world.”
Another comment read: “I’m LIVIN for @KylieJenner blue hair” as someone else predicted that other influencers are copying this look as we speak: “@kyliejenner w blue hair makes me want blue hair.”
Even though Kylie clearly wants to stick with blue for longer than a few days, we wouldn’t be massively surprised if she opts for a totally different colour by February.


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Samsung is probably hoping that the world will forget about the Note 7 disaster, and the Galaxy S8 could be the phone to help that happen. Especially if the latest rumor, which points to two very powerful but very different handsets, proves accurate.
The 5.1-inch model is tipped to pack a QHD resolution (just like many current flagships), while the 5.5-inch version will apparently have a 4K screen.
The display on both will be AMOLED, as usual, but supposedly their cameras will differ, with the 5.1-inch Galaxy S8 getting a single-lens snapper, while the 5.5-inch version will supposedly have a dual-lens one.
The same source also claims that both phones will use the Viv AI assistant, which Samsung recently bought, and it could prove a rival to Google Assistant, as it’s been built by some of the creators of Siri.
Finally, and unsurprisingly, some versions of the phone (likely the US models) will apparently use a Snapdragon 830 processor, while other versions are said to use the Exynos 8895. But these are both top-end chips, so the phone should have plenty of power with either.
If these rumors prove accurate, then coupled with other things we’ve heard, like the possibility of 6GB of RAM, an iris scanner, and even a built-in projector, the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be the phone to beat in 2017, and with an announcement rumored for February 26 we shouldn’t have too long to wait for it.
- Via SamMobile


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Flutterwave Closes USD $170m Funding, Achieving Unicorn Status
Wednesday, 10th March 2021: Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, today announces it has secured USD $170 million from a leading group of international investors as part of a successful Series C round. The round was led by growth-equity firms Avenir Growth Capital (“Avenir”) and Tiger Global Management LLC (“Tiger Global”) with participation from new and existing investors.
Founded by entrepreneur Olugbenga Agboola in 2016, the company’s valuation is now in
excess of USD $1 billion. The fundraise brings the total investment in Flutterwave to USD
$225 million and is one of only a very small number of African fintech companies to have
raised significant funds in a period of widespread disruption and economic uncertainty.
The new funds will allow Flutterwave to execute an ambitious growth strategy to become a leading global payments company, empowering SMEs and multinational brands by connecting the highly fragmented African digital payments landscape. Flutterwave will invest the new capital to accelerate customer acquisition in existing and international markets, as well as develop complementary and innovative products such as the newly launched Flutterwave Mobile, an app to help accelerate ecommerce growth as a result of the success of the Flutterwave Stores.
This fundraise comes at a time when Covid-19 has accelerated the shift to digital payments in Africa, which has contributed to Flutterwave’s exceptional revenue growth of 226% CAGR from 2018-2020.
Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said: “When
Flutterwave was founded in 2016, the payments landscape in Africa was highly
fragmented so the goal was to build a pan-African platform that simplified payments
for everyone. However our successes would not be possible without (1) Our amazing
team of 300+ employees that work tirelessly to achieve our goals (2) The trust and
support we have received from our investors and customers and (3) Regulatory
bodies like the Central Bank of Nigeria which – under the leadership of the current
Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele – has remained at the forefront of the significant efforts
that are currently being made by African governments to create the enabling
environment for technology, innovation and financial inclusion. This humbling support
has created the backbone upon which companies like Flutterwave have been able to
As we look to the future, our focus remains the same which is to stand by our 290,000
merchants across Africa every day as they strive to build their mom-and-pop stores
into global businesses. We look forward to increasing our investments across the
continent and deepening the impact our platform has on lives and livelihoods as we
take more businesses in Africa to the World, and at the same time continue to bring
more of the World to Africa.”
Jamie Reynolds, Partner at Avenir Growth Capital, commented: “Flutterwave is at the forefront of innovation in payments technology, and we are excited to support the team as they build the last available payments infrastructure frontier in the world – connecting merchants and consumers intra-Africa and globally.”
Scott Shleifer, Partner at Tiger Global Management LLC, added: “We are excited
to partner with Flutterwave as they continue building a world-class payments platform.
We were impressed by Flutterwave’s focus on customer success and believe the
company is well-positioned for sustainable long-term growth.”
This latest funding round was led by Avenir and Tiger Global with participation from DST Global, Early Capital Berrywood, Green Visor Capital, Greycroft Capital, Insight Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Tiger Management, WorldpayFIS, and 9yards Capital. Avenir and Tiger Global have funded some of the brightest tech start-ups in the world including Current, Latch, Savage x Fenty, JD.com and Facebook.
Flutterwave was founded with the mission to create endless possibilities for customers and businesses in Africa and the emerging markets. It enables its customers to build customisable payment applications through its APIs. Flutterwave’s Series C fundraise comes on the back of an impressive run of 4 years in which Flutterwave reached over 290,000 merchants and over 500,000 registered Barter users, launched a range of new products and partnerships and expanded its infrastructure into over 33 countries.
– END –
Flutterwave is a Payments Technology Company that helps businesses all over the world expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets, through a platform that enables cross-border transactions via one API. Flutterwave has processed over 140M transactions worth over USD $9B to date and serves more than 290,000 businesses including customers like Uber, Flywire, Booking.com, Facebook, etc. The Company’s key advantage is international payment processing in 150 currencies and multiple payment modes including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, Barter by Flutterwave etc. Flutterwave has an infrastructure reach in over 33 African countries, including Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. For more information on Flutterwave’s journey, please visit: www.flutterwave.com
Avenir is a growth stage investment firm. The firm takes a research-driven, first principles-based approach to identify how new technologies, changing consumer preferences or evolving regulatory environments will reshape large end markets. Avenir invests in high-growth, category-defining companies capitalizing on these paradigm shifts. Such investments have included Savage x Fenty, Latch, Drizly, Current, Bevi, and Mark43, among others. Avenir was founded in 2017 and is based in New York.
About Tiger Global Management, LLC.
Tiger Global Management, LLC is an investment firm that deploys capital globally. The firm’s fundamentally oriented investments focus primarily on the global internet, software, financial technology, consumer and industrial sectors. The private equity strategy has a ten-year investment horizon and targets growth-oriented private companies. Such investments have included Spotify, Harry’s, Warby Parker, Peloton, JD.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yandex, Mail.ru Group, Despegar, Ola and Flipkart. The public equity efforts emphasize deep due diligence on individual companies and long-term secular themes. Tiger Global Management, LLC, was founded in 2001 and is based in New York with affiliate offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangalore and Melbourne.
Hudson Sandler LLP
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text: Breadcrumb Home Manufacturing Politics Bill boosting EV incentives is headed for Pritzker's desk Lawmakers OK'd sweeter tax incentives for makers and suppliers in the fast-growing electric vehicle industry. Says one manufacturing chief: "I certainly hope this will move the needle." Transportation Rail strike threat averted as U.S. Senate votes to impose labor deal While a strike was averted, Senate Republicans defeated another bill that would have given rail workers the seven days of paid sick leave they had called for. Politics Pritzker moves to bulk up state's EV tax incentives After watching a steady stream of electric vehicle and battery plants bypass Illinois for states like Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Georgia, the Pritzker administration is tweaking its incentive package. Technology Major milestone for a Northwestern tech spinoff With a military contract and plans for a West Loop factory, NanoGraf shows how Chicago can carve out a place in the lithium-ion battery industry. Content type - Any -ArticlePhoto GalleryVideo Manufacturing & Logistics VW could partner with Foxconn to revive Scout brand in U.S. Automobiles Elon Musk's Twitter is full of people swearing off Tesla Transportation Biden asks Congress to force rail deal over union objections Consumer products Ice cream binge prompts chocolatier Barry Callebaut to boost Americas output Manufacturing Brenntag slumps after confirming potential Univar tie-up Manufacturing & Logistics Deere sees fragile supply chain as challenge for tractor boom Opinion Opinion: Here's how to boost can recycling in Illinois Private Intelligence An airline components business that's more than the sum of its parts Manufacturing Rivian employees say rapid production led to injuries, safety oversights in Illinois plant Manufacturing & Logistics EV maker Lion Electric reports record deliveries as Joliet plant ramps up Load More Get our newsletters The news you need, delivered. Staying current is easy with Crain's news sent straight to your inbox, free of charge.


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Google already makes swappable bands for Android Wear devices. New reports now suggest that they will start making the smartwatches too.
According to Android Police, Google is working on two Android Wear smartwatches that might be under the Nexus branding.
According to reports, Google is also working on improving the way notifications, apps, and other controls appear on the small screen.
The watch will have three buttons and a circular crown like other Android Wear devices.


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After Leaving Thousands in Agony, the CDC Is Finally Clarifying Its Painkiller Restrictions
The agency is addressing the widespread suffering caused by the crackdown on opioids—the result of predictable misapplication of its guidelines.
Does it Matter That There’s CBD in Your Skincare?
I tried 40 CBD skincare products, read all the excited claims about them, and talked to three dermatologists with strong B.S. detectors about whether they actually work.


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Founder Institute Japan Graduates 2022 Cohort Program
The Founder Institute Japan, the local chapter of the world’s premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program, announced that it had graduated seven new technology companies from five countries, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Italy, and Myanmar in its 2022 cohort. After receiving over 100 applications, founders in the program were subjected to an intensive four-month curriculum of challenging company-building assignments, and constant evaluation from top startup mentors, and 8 promising Founders were able to make it to graduation.
Throughout the program, our cohort participants have benefited greatly from the guidance and support of a diverse mix of seasoned company founders, investors, and industry experts. They have also received access to a range of tools and resources, including our exclusive curriculum, designed to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to create successful businesses.
Founder Institute Japan Journey
Founder Institute programs have been present in Japan for a decade now. Initially, the program was managed by local Japanese leaders, and its focus was solely on assisting Japanese startup entrepreneurs. However, due to the pandemic, the program in Japan was put on hold.
In 2022, the Founder Institute decided to restart the Japan program, intending to transform it into an international program. To achieve this, the program is conducted entirely in English and will now cater not only to Japanese but also to foreign startup entrepreneurs.
With the leadership of Erdinc Ekinci and Yu Li Shein, the co-founders of Openfor.co, the Founder Institute Japan 2022 Cohort program was initiated from scratch in March, with the recruitment of partners and mentors. In a remarkably short span, the program was launched in May, with support from early supporters in the Japan Startup Ecosystem. More than 30 Japanese local ecosystem partners and over 70 Mentors from Japan and global startup ecosystems joined us to help the next generation of entrepreneurs build great businesses in Japan.
FI Japan 2022 Cohort Summary
The Founder Institute Japan '22 cohort kicked off on Oct 11th, 2022, and started with 22 selected founders, representing very different nations, joining from 5 countries and an exciting array of industry and sector innovations out of around 100 applicants. With founders from diverse backgrounds and industries, like Sport, Education, AR(3D), SNS, Real Estate, NLP, Fintech, E-commerce, HR, Travel, and many more innovative, change-making startups led by talented entrepreneurs.
We're proud that 8 out of the 22 founders have successfully survived the intensive 14-week program, gaining the skills and knowledge essential for investment and sustained growth. These amazing founders have come out on top, representing 4 different nations: Japan, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Italy, with innovative ideas across various industries.
The remaining founders have survived weekly ratings and reviews from more than 60 mentors in our network who have personally built, grown, and led successful high-growth companies. Our program is designed to help them build fast-growing, meaningful, and enduring tech companies with validation and support from us.
The graduate companies include:
xRsion Inc. (https://xrsion.co.jp): Easy tool creating semi-real 3D Characters (Canva for 3D Character)
DELIGHT Inc. (https://delight.fit): B2B SaaS, Multilingual AI Telephone Bot
Pocket Nihongo (https://pocketnihongo.id/): An Advanced Japanese Learning Platform targeting Indonesia (Advanced Dualingo For Learning Japanese)
Drive Japan Inc. (https://drivejapan.co.jp/): Japan Road Trip Itinerary Search
Juncture Co. Ltd. (https://www.linkedin.com/company/junctureai): An AI-enabled HR Applicant Tracing System Company
SAN: The Web3 Freelancers Platform
Aeru.me (My Best Teacher) (https://www.aeru.me/news/my-best-teacher): 1on1 Music Teaching/Coaching platform
FI Japan 2022 Cohort Graduation
Watch the inspiring pitches in the graduation video from the founders and valuable insights of Kei Shimada here:
“We want to remind you that this is not the end of your journey, but rather just the beginning." The skills and knowledge you have gained during the program will serve you well as you embark on new adventures,” says Erdinc Ekinci, Co-director of the Founder Institute Japan and Co-Founder & CEO of Openfor.co “We look forward to seeing the impact you will make in the startup world, and we hope that you will continue to stay in touch and share your successes with us. Congratulations once again, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!”
“Our program teaches entrepreneurs the best practices of Silicon Valley innovation, enabling them to avoid rookie mistakes, work frugally, and create value quicker,” says Jonathan Greechan, Co-Founder & CEO of Founder Institute. “This is a grassroots model of local economic development that is sustainable.”
After Graduation, the new Japan Graduates now have a company, business idea, product plan, and path to growth fully validated by experienced startup founders. In addition, the Graduates gain access to the Founder Institute's Global Network of over 6,500 companies and 35,000+ mentors spanning 200+ cities and six continents.
The next Japan Founder Institute program is being planned now, and the final application deadline is Apr 09, 2023]. Anyone interested in launching a company with the program can register to get updates at http://fi.co/japan.
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 6,500 entrepreneurs raise over $1.75BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 95 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.


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Compiled by BIG W's team of baby experts, the latest Bub&Me event will feature one of the biggest collections of essential items and highly sought-after products for new babies, growing bubs - and their parents. Prices will be slashed on a selection of products from big brands including up to 40% off on Bonds, Johnson and Johnson, Tommee Tippee, Infasecure, VTech and Dreambaby.
New and exclusive ranges will also land at BIG W including the much-anticipated May Gibbs and Dymples nursery and babywear ranges.
To further support new parents navigate the new and exciting world of parenthood, BIG W is hosting a free virtual Bub&Me Facebook Live Education Session in collaboration with Red Nose Australia.
The interactive Facebook Live event will be hosted by BIG W ambassador, new mum and mum-to-be, Emma Freedman, who will be joined by Keren Ludksi, CEO and Safe Sleep Educator, Red Nose Australia and Loretta Musgrave, Head of Midwifery, Child and Family at the University of Technology Sydney.
Expectant mums and dads are invited to listen and learn, or join the conversation during Q&A time - the event will be live from 1:30-2:00pm on Thursday 30 July on BIG W's Facebook page, and viewers are advised to register interest and submit questions early.
Amanda Lunn, Head of Everyday Needs at BIG W, said: "Parenthood provides a series of exciting developments that we can cherish, as well as the challenges it can present particularly in the current environment, so it's important for BIG W that we do what we can to make things easier for parents. Our Bub&Me event shines a spotlight on a wide range of great value products and trusted brands that support our mums, and help our precious little ones, to thrive."
BIG W is providing shoppers with many ways to shop the Bub&Me event safely, with Contactless Pick up and home delivery available nationally. For more information, visit www.bigw.com.au


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When is the sum of the parts in payments greater than the whole?
When it involves an acquisition that enables two companies with similarly aligned visions to “step on the gas pedal” and fast forward to an integrated payments future.
That’s at least the view of Brent Warrington, CEO of SecureNet and Tony Catalfano, CEO of WorldPay who sat down with MPD CEO Karen Webster in an exclusive interview about the acquisition of SecureNet by WorldPay announced on Wednesday, November 12, 2014.
These sorts of discussions always start with the obvious question: “what brought you guys together?” The answer, and often in the acquiring space, includes a bunch of flowery lingo about “synergies” and like-minded CEOs with a shared vision. Both Warrington and Catalfano bristle at the former assumption, saying instead that, it’s a “pedal to the gas” type of play for both: WorldPay will provide more resources to SecureNet to help it to scale and SecureNet will provide more capabilities to WorldPay to allow it to accelerate its innovation roadmap.
But make no mistake, the visions of these CEOs are pretty clearly aligned. What began as discussions about partnerships and alliances quickly moved to something, well, more permanent.
When describing how the acquisition took shape, Catalfano, in particular, was struck by just how aligned both companies were right from the start. “Brent and I jelled around this aligned vision we have of the future and that quickly moved from a conversation about his great product and my distribution to how we could put the two together. SecureNet brings the technology, WorldPay bring the distribution, the expertise, the global reach, the customer relationships and that marriage to me is just something we had to do.”
SecureNet is a next generation software platform that enables the integration of payments, multichannel and data for merchants interested in taking advantage of all of the opportunities that technology, mobile devices and omnichannel offer them and their consumers. Warrington describes SecureNet’s solution as a “a best in class, industry-only and technology agnostic payment solution that sits on a simple API” and makes it simple for merchants to keep up with the pace of change in the industry.
And while SecureNet’s customers are merchants, Warrington says that it’s the consumer that really drives their product development and roadmap. Warrington, who “wakes up every day and thinks about the consumer,” is driven by anticipating and then responding to consumer behavior from “now to wherever it is going.” Translation: SecureNet says that it is 1,000 percent focused on helping merchants accommodate the changing preferences of how consumers shop today, want to shop tomorrow and to do that without friction – moving seamlessly from channel to channel. Simplify and streamline are SecureNet’s product mantra.
Given the demand from merchants for that sort of capability, one might imagine that SecureNet has built a nice business over the years fulfilling that value proposition for its merchant customers. Yet, as good as Warrington and SecureNet are, the world of payments – and merchants – is, Warrington admits, pretty big. And therein was one of Warrington’s biggest challenges, that is, until Wednesday – scaling the business and doing it efficiently.
That, Warrington said, was about one word that begins with a capital D – distribution.
As a part of WorldPay, SecureNet has its distribution problems solved at the same time that it can deliver more value to WorldPay’s existing customer relationships. Both companies believe it’s not only about “acting appropriately at the different sizes of the market” but also being open to where they should be partnering and where each holds unique expertise and capability around solving different merchant problems for different merchant categories.
For WorldPay, the acquisition is an opportunity to accelerate dramatically its shift from a more traditional global processor to a software based, multichannel commerce enabler – one that, in Catalfano’s words, is less about payment and more about the ability to create a different experience across channels,” This, Catalfano says, plays to WorldPay’s stated mission of being a leader in “modern money.” Modern money, he says, is about enriching the transaction experience for merchants by accommodating consumer buying preferences and using data and analytics and customer knowledge to drive more sales back to that merchant. Catalfano firmly believes that SecureNet “brought us technology that’s years ahead of anyone else” and a platform that they can leverage – and quickly – to build upon.
Perhaps most exciting for both is what this “bridge from the consumer experience to payments acceptance,” enables them to execute. Catalfano says that the acquisition enables WorldPay to court a whole new set of clients – developers – and create an environment that “doesn’t exist right now” in payments, one where acquirers act more like systems integrators and less like transaction processors.
This solutions-focused approach to solving merchant problems is one that WorldPay has been contemplating for years, but now can make a reality via a cloud-based platform, a set of APIs and new data and channel capabilities that enable developers to embed payments into new business and commerce opportunities. To bring this vision to life, WorldPay will open a new development center in Austin where partners and merchants can actually visit, in person, with members of their team and collaborate to enrich their customer experience across channels. Catalfano believes giving developers a place to talk, collaborate and realize the opportunities of wrapping “data around payments” is, well, the future of payments.
With WorldPay’s modern money approach and SecureNet’s innovative platform, WorldPay and SecureNet hope to “help the merchant’s understand very simply how to deploy new technologies to create new multichannel commerce opportunities that has historically been a very arduous set of activities.” When asked where WorldPay and SecureNet will be 24-36 months from today, Warrington stated, “We get the distribution, the stage, the service excellence and the large enterprise infrastructure globally that comes with WorldPay and the fast, innovative, cutting-edge platform developed on modern technology that SecureNet brings and we think we’re ready for wherever consumers and merchants want to go.”
Catalfano responded, “I think quite frankly these two companies together position us better than anybody in the industry to be able to provide the right solution at the right time and solve real problems.”
The sum of the parts greater than the whole, in payments, or at least that’s their plan.


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Don't Keep Home Fires Burning Today
The National Fire Protection Association offered its "Home Cooking Fire Pattern and Trends, July 2006" report as a free download for members at the same time it released a fact sheet on cooking fires last week. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires in the United States, and NFPA said the public must keep safety in mind when preparing holiday meals.
In 2005, cooking fires were involved in roughly 1,300 reported home structure fires on Thanksgiving, which is almost three times higher than the daily average for such fires, according to the association. And cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, with more than $500 million in direct property damage to homes and belongings annually.
"It can be easy to get wrapped up in entertaining guests, but it is important to remember to monitor meal preparation closely as most cooking fires start because cooking has been left unattended," NFPA said. Other tips include: Turn off the oven or stove if you must leave the home for even a short period of time; if you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting food, check it regularly and remain in the home while the food is cooking; don't cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy; keep things that will burn (pot holders, oven mitts, paper, plastic) off your stovetop and do not store things that can burn in an oven, microwave, or toaster oven; clean food and grease off burners, stovetops, and ovens; wear clothing with sleeves that are short, close fitting, or tightly rolled up; keep kids away from cooking areas; use a stove's back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles inward; and never hold a small child while cooking.


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Nintendo's recent release of Mario Kart 8 has turned the tides for Nintendo's latest console, the Nintendo Wii U, but is it enough to hold its ground while Sony and Microsoft run rampant with releases?
Nintendo Wii U's line up consists of Skylander Trap Team, followed by Hyrule Warriors, a Captain Toad: Treasure Hunter and then a (still) unconfirmed Super Smash Bros. set for sometime possibly in November. But the list stops there!
Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft are bathing in releases of...
Ubisoft will make an appearance outside of the San Diego Comic Con, but will only be featuring Just Dance 2015 for the Nintendo Wii U. Just Dance will be playable at this event.
Perhaps more interesting, Ubisoft will also host an "assasin's creed parkour experience." Winners of the course will receive a limited edition Assasin's Creed t-shirt.
Ubisoft will also be hosting panels for Far Cry 4.
In what is being described as Nintendo's biggest presence at comic con in the company's history, Nintendo makes promises to show off popular games such as: Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors, Pokemon Art Academy and so forth.
Along with presentations of Nintendo's up-and-coming video game titles, Nintendo plans on featuring their newly announce amiibos more, as well as hosting live tournaments for games not released yet!
"More and more developers and publishers are moving to online distribution models, but GameStop, the world's most successful video game retailer, is actually benefitting from the shift.
This is thanks, in large part, to the fact that many customers purchase digital content in physical stores –– this can be accomplished through a variety of methods, such as currency cards, or purchasing DLC season passes at GameStop's front desk.
Last year, more than $724 million of GameStop's sales were ..."
When I played League of Legends, I never used the points I earned from regular play for the skins. The Champions and Runes always went first.
It is unfortunate that players were scammed. But I don't see how important a skin that expired from the shop from a couple of months ago can be worth hundreds of dollars in real money.
Thank goodness Riot is nice enough to allow players that had been scammed to redeem themselves if they provide proof that they obtained the code legally.
"Today’s Develop Conference opened with a keynote featuring Sony Computer Entertainment’s (SCE) President and Group CEO, Andrew House, and Mark Cerny, lead architect on the PlayStation 4, talking about the life and times of the PlayStation brand. As the pair travelled along the timeline that reached from the creation of the SCE division at Sony to the launch of the PlayStation 4, attentions turned to the future of the brand and that inevitable disruption: virtual reality (VR)."
"Today’s Evolve in Brighton conference saw virtual reality (VR) take centre stage as a highlight of the event just as it has with a number of international videogame industry show this year. Along with a talk from nDreams’ Patrick O’Luanaigh earlier in the day, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s (SCEE) David Ranyard, London Studio Director, spoke about the strengths of VR and the potential future of the PlayStation 4′s Project Morpheus."
"Jim Sterling assailed provocatively against gaming’s big corporations and their pseudo-apologies and whimsy-focused smiles behind lavish PR responses and insincere, merry-time appeasement after every single incident that occurs where it looks like gamers are getting screwed. I’m glad he did it because it makes my job that much easier to expand on those points, or rather, explain why gamers seem to tolerate it."
"There’s been a lot of debate over whether or not EA’s premium demos were part of a calculated test-run for a more nefarious future for vertical slices released to the public, or if it was just a gosh-darn honest mistake. Well, there’s some pretty good reasons why a large majority of core gamers saw the news and reacted the way they did."
"Kingdoms of Amalur… the name sounded kind of generic but the execution was supposedly pretty good. It’s one of the dozens of games in my back catalog of titles I’ll likely get around to playing after my head is full of gray hairs and flying cars become the standard for getting around town. This story isn’t about Kingdom of Amalur, though. It’s about the company that was granted $75 million to make the game"


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Videobb.com is a video hosting service that is gaining popularity in recent weeks.
As we can see in the graph of alexa, it seems that after the article in elpais.com: MegaVideo does ‘cleaning’ files for ‘streaming’, many users have started to use it as an alternative, growing a lot in a few weeks.
According to the ElPais article, the reason for the cleaning Megavideo may be good news for this market, as it announces a project for 2011 called Megamovie:
[…] available to all creators, from Hollywood studios to independent and television production companies. For a tiny fee, much less with iTunes and Netflix, they can upload content and sell it to a mass audience.
They comment that Megamovie will be an independent content market so that users can enjoy the best content at the highest quality at the lowest price, internationally. In other words, the micropayments business model to be able to enjoy high-quality content on the web can be more than a myth in our country.
Let’s hope that history continues to evolve and we can ever modernize a business model that refuses to do so.


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|Promoting tourism: The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2018 was held in Thailand in January this year. — Photo baochinhphu.vn|
ATF 2019, the annual forum regarded as one of the top events of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will be held from January 14-18 to boost tourism co-operation and development.
With the theme “ASEAN – The Power of One”, it is expected to underline the strength and beauty of the 10 nations in ASEAN and the beauty of each individual in the community, towards a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive development goal.
A wide range of activities will be held as part of the forum, including formal meetings between officials of ASEAN National Tourism Organisation (NTO) and meetings between ASEAN tourism ministers and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea and India.
Other events include association meetings involving the ASEAN Tourism Association, the Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations, the ASEAN Airlines Association, and the ASEAN Hotel & Restaurant Association, exhibitions and business appointments seeking to facilitate the trade of regional and individual tourism products of ASEAN member states, and a tourism conference.
As part of the event, the unique ATF Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) will be held to make it easier and more convenient for suppliers of ASEAN tourism products and services and international buyers to conduct business.
The authorities of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism and Quang Ninh Province organised a meeting on the organisation of the two events.
|Iconic location: Ha Long City, in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh Province, will host the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 to be held on January 14-19. — VNA/VNS Photo Trung Nguyen|
The ATF 2019 creates an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce its nation, people and tourism as well as attract more investment in tourism in the nation.
Meanwhile, TRAVEX is a trade-only event that showcases the world’s largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services, and facilitates selling, buying and promoting the region internationally.
This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the event, 10 years since its first organisation in 2009.
The hosting of ATF 2019 is also expected to create a golden opportunity for Quang Ninh in particular to promote its tourism.
The province this year has also been successful in hosting the National Tourism Year 2018 themed “Ha Long – Heritage, Wonder, Friendly Destination”, in Ha Long City in April.
Ha Long Bay is a must-see destination in Quang Ninh. It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000.
The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestone karsts and islets of various shapes and sizes.
The limestone islands in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.
The geo-diversity of the environment has created biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea biosystem. Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species.
First launched in 1981 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the forum is the biggest event under the ASEAN tourism cooperation umbrella with a view to promoting the group of the nations as a tourist destination.
It involves all tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.


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The role of Robertet at this year’s Fi Europe is all about taking customers and other key partners on a journey – back to the group’s natural roots. In fact, the key slogan it wants to convey to visitors is ‘Natural Pure Player One’, a tribute to its natural origins.
With experience stretching back 200 years, Robertet Group sources no fewer than 1,355 natural products from 60 different countries. It boasts 14 creative centres around the world and has customers in 50 countries.
The French-based business, with four divisions dedicated to raw materials, flavour, fragrances, and health & beauty, will be on hand at the trade show with not one but two stands presenting its expertise in the areas of flavour and functional ingredients, as managing director of Robertet’s flavour division Antoine Kastler explains to Fi Global.
Two Fi Europe stands to showcase mind and body
The larger of Robertet’s two stands (located at 4.1B100) at Fi Europe charts the voyage ‘From Seed to Emotion’ for a range of ingredients and flavour applications, guided by creative processes such as Fix’motion.
“We’re inviting visitors to get ‘up close and personal’ with this process of transformation,” says Kastler. “It’s about integrating that goal of the final emotion in the consumer, managing progress towards it, and creating a successful product.”
The holistic process takes in not just flavour but also key elements like mouthfeel when it comes to ingredients to reduce the sugar content, says Robertet. As well as its customisable design tools, the group will demonstrate programmes, aided by artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience that allow customers to verify that their emotional goal has in fact been achieved.
The journey showcased on Robertet’s smaller stand (stand 3.0A221) will be ‘From Seed to Care’, with a focus on its Positiv’Food platform that combines active ingredients with functional benefits and natural flavours.
“Up to now, applications of these ingredients, in areas such as boosting mood, have been largely confined to food supplements,” says Kastler. “But today, functional food and drink is one of the industry’s strongest trends. Of course, there are sometimes regulatory issues to address, but there’s also very high demand out there.”
Robertet will also showcase a product at the Fi Europe New Product Zone that has been made with ingredients developed through the Positiv’Food process: a sports nutrition shake with natural functionality, based on whey powder.
Villa Blu: Accelerating startups for an ‘ecosystem of innovation’
Earlier this year, Robertet established its Villa Blu startup accelerator. As the company explains, the aim is to build an “ecosystem of innovation”, adding to the many internal routes to creativity that already exist.
“Villa Blu is an accelerator rather than an incubator, so we are currently supporting 10 startups offering natural ingredients or natural products, which are already on the market. The aim is to help each of them to develop for up to two years,” Kastler says. “Of course, these businesses are also a place where we can find inspiration for our own ideas.”
The current startups benefitting from the Villa Blu journey include manufacturers of products as varied as cosmetics, pet care, beverages, and vertical farming of crops. “It could be upstream or downstream: anything that’s not our core activity,” he says.
Sustainable sourcing for natural heritage ingredients
Kastler stresses that social and environmental sustainability are as important as ever.
“The economic crisis and price inflation don’t mean that these concerns vanish overnight. The EU’s New Green Deal is on its way, too, so we are also investing for that.”
Visitors to the Fi Europe New Product Zone will be able to see a second featured Robertet product that showcases its commitment to sustainable, natural ingredients. A vanilla infusion, the product is the first to have accreditation under the Fair for Life scheme, which is as much about promoting biodiversity as it is about fairly traded products.
“Our sourcing systems in Madagascar ensure not only that the vanilla bean and extract are of the best organic quality, but that our farmers are cared for,” Kastler explains. “This is about storytelling, it’s true, but it’s also about validating and proving what you’re doing on the ground.”


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BEFORE: Jourdan Dunn with honey blonde bob hairstyle. (Photo: Landmark / PR Photos)
Top British model Jourdan Dunn has been sporting a honey blonde bob for quite some time now, but has revealed a new blue hairstyle that has her ready for Coachella.
“Coachella Ready thank you @rendaattia” Jourdan captioned an Instagram image of her icy blue locks with. Dunn joins Hilary Duff as a star who has took the plunge, and debuted blue hair.


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Author: DA Communications Group | 5 June 2020
The Department of Agriculture lauds the strong support of local government units (LGUs), farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs), and community leaders, who altogether bought P5.8-billion worth of farm and fishery products that were included in LGU food packs and others were sold through the DA’s Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita marketing platforms.
“We commend more than 750 Kadiwa outlets and communities, and 425 LGUs that procured P3.45 billion and P2.38 billion, respectively, of various products from more than 15,000 individual farmers and fishers, and 3,250 FCAs nationwide, assuring them of direct market and reasonable incomes,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“In particular, we thank the 425 LGUs for buying almost P2-billion worth of palay and rice that formed part of subsidized food packs distributed to their constituents,” the DA chief added.
In addition to palay and rice, the LGUs bought poultry and livestock animals, and meat products, worth P193 million (M); vegetables, fruits and other crops – P94.6 M; fish and aquaculture products – P92.3 M; and corn, seeds and other and farm inputs – worth P870,000.
The LGUs directly bought the above farm and fishery products direct from 277 farmers and 100 FCAs. In addition, 14,864 individual farmers and 3,156 FCAs sold 161 million kilograms of assorted farm and fishery produce, worth P3.45 billion, through more than 755 Kadiwa outlets, barangays, and communities.
To date, the “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” marketing program has benefited around 1.3 million households nationwide, Secretary Dar said.
“The increasing sales of Kadiwa shows that more farm and fishery producers are participating in our cause to address the food requirements of consumers,” he added, noting that agri-fishery products sold at Kadiwa are cheaper than those in ‘talipapa’ or public markets.
“This is a win-win situation for both consumers and farmer-producers, as consumers gain savings from buying goods at lower prices; and additional income for farmers, fishers or FCAs participating in the Kadiwa program,” Secretary Dar said.
“Even beyond the Covid-19 pandemic or under the ‘new normal’ scenario, we will continue to implement the ‘Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita’ marketing program, as a reliable food commodity supplier in high-demand areas like Metro Manila and other urban centers nationwide,” he concluded. ### (Rita dela Cruz, DA StratComms)


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Online sales tax bill stirs up opposing views in D.C.
July 26, 2012 04:35 PM
With the merchants who make up the Internet Retailer Top 500 accounting for nearly all of the online state sales tax that goes uncollected, retailers outside of the Top 500 should be exempt from sales tax collection, Steve DelBianco, the executive director of NetChoice, an advocacy group for online retailers, said in testimony before a U.S. House committee this week on a proposed federal law designed to force web retailers to collect sales tax.
The Marketplace Equity Act, introduced with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives by Steve Womack (R-AR) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), seeks to overturn existing federal law that says states can’t mandate sales tax collection by retailers that don’t have a physical presence, or nexus in legal terms. That presence can include stores or distribution centers in a customer’s state. A similar law, the Marketplace Fairness Act, has been submitted in the U.S. Senate.
Testimony supporting the bill came from groups including the National Retail Federation, a trade organization representing retail chains as well as web-only merchants. “This reform is necessary to reduce the uncertainty currently rampant as shown by state-by-state attempts to establish nexus for collection purposes artificially stifling the growth and expansion of small- and medium-sized business across the country,” said David French, senior vice president for government relations.
DelBianco of NetChoice, which represents online retail organizations including Overstock.com Inc. and eBay Inc., contends that the new House bill as written would “definitely raise costs and prices for small businesses that compete—and survive—via their web and catalog sales.” The committee will keep open the record for five legislative days following the July 24 hearing for additional materials to be submitted, but has not scheduled additional action on the legislation, a committee spokeswoman says.
Citing a study by economists commissioned by NetChoice that used data from the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, DelBianco said the largest 500 retailers by web sales accounted for 93% of uncollected sales tax related to e-commerce in 2011. He suggested that legislators exempt from sales tax collection all retailers outside of the Top 500, which would set an annual sales threshold of about $15 million. By comparison, the bill as currently written provides for a small-retailer exemption at $1 million in annual remote sales, or sales to customers in states where a retailer has no physical presence.
DelBianco also contended in his testimony that the Marketplace Equity Act doesn’t require enough simplification of sales tax rules across the 45 states plus the District of Columbia that have sales tax. For example, he said, retailers should be able to work with a single set of rules across all states about which products are taxable and which aren’t.
DelBianco added that the technology and processes required to collect and remit sales tax will cost retailers an amount equal to 15 cents on every dollar of sales tax they charge customers.
Among other supporters of the bill is the Performance Marketing Association, a trade group for affiliate marketers such as blogs or other content sites that earn commissions from retailers for forwarding traffic to their e-commerce sites. Rebecca Madigan, the association’s executive director, who submitted written testimony in support of the bill, says a new federal law that removed physical presence as a basis for collecting sales tax would supersede individual state laws that have tied physical presence to retailers’ relationships with affiliates.
Such “affiliate nexus” tax laws, she says, “have already devastated 76,000 online-based businesses.” Some major online retailers, notably Amazon.com Inc. and Overstock.com, have severed ties with affiliates based in states that have passed such laws.
In fact, she contends that, instead of raising tax revenue for many states, such laws have been known to reduce tax revenue by causing retailers to terminate affiliate relationships and affiliates to relocate to other states that don’t pass such laws. “A federal solution will put to rest these desperate and futile attempts states pursue to solve their budget shortfalls,” she says.